The beautiful bouquets of roses given with love on Valentine's Day are beginning to droop their fragrant heads. Every young girl's wish is that they would stay beautiful for a long time and the love would stay as strong as the red color of the flower. There is a way to use the flower petals after they have wilted and are nearly off of the stem. In the Victorian times, the rose petals would be used as a fragrant water refresher. It would be used with an atomizer to spray the air and remind one of the flower and the love with which it was given. The petals are added to distilled water that has been boiled and while still hot added to color and scent the water. There are many recipes for the atomizer mixtures and the one below works well with the red rose petals.

In many cultures around the world the rose is revered in different ways. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians gave as much importance to their rose gardens as their wheat fields. Roses were considered very important in their ceremonies. Rose water was first produced by chemists in the medieval Islamic world through distillation of the roses for drinking and perfumes. The Victorians celebrated the rose and used rosewater and orange flower water to flavor baked goods and candies before the arrival of vanilla. It is still a very popular flavoring and can be purchased locally in a very small blue bottle to experiment with in baking and creating your own bath sprays.

Several years ago I had the good fortune to take a class at COS from Master Gardener Lynne Schaefer. One class was a lecture on the rose and how it is used in the aromatherapy and culinary garden. It contained a list of about 20 different culinary roses and what flavor they impart. An abbreviated list of the culinary rose collection include: Angel's Mateu (tastes like raspberry), Dolly Parton (tastes like rose and clove), Lafrance (tastes like rose and lemon), Vandal (tastes like wine) and Xephirine Drouhin (tastes like apple, rose and clove). If you are browsing the many gardeners' catalogues and checking out the garden centers for a new rose to add delight to your garden you might want to look for one that not only looks beautiful but tastes beautiful as well.

Valentine's rose refresher

1 quart distilled water

1 handful rose petals

The zest of one large organic orange

2 tablespoons rose water

Boil the water and add the zest of the orange. Remove from the heat and add the flower petals.

Cool and add the rose water, strain and place in a spray bottle. Keep in a dark bottle or cabinet with little light and enjoy the rose once more.

Page 2 of 2 - Culinary arts classes

Feb. 23, from 2-4 p.m. "Celebrating the Purina Chicken Week" at Scott Valley Garden Center in Greenview. Chef will feature sharpening skills and how to cut your time in the kitchen. This is a hands-on class so bring your knives from home, sharpen them and learn to cut veggies like a pro. Learn the techniques to bone out a half chicken that turns into a three meal dinner. Class cost is $20 and please reserve your spot at the store.

I am pleased to announce a new culinary adventure "food that's gold – wine pairings" a hands-on class at the new fun spot in Yreka, the Wine Gallery on Broadway. The next class will be on Tuesday, March 12 from 6-8 p.m. "St. Patrick's Day Celebration pairing ales and wine with Irish soda bread, learning to fasten lardoons in a brisket and colcannon. Stop in to see Gail and reserve your place.